BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Newcomen.com - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Newcomen.com X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.newcomen.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Newcomen.com REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20240331T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20241027T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20250330T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20251026T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20260329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20261025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20270328T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20271031T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260415T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260415T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133937 CREATED:20250915T152940Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T091014Z UID:16543-1776276000-1776281400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'A plain substantial piece of workmanship: the marine compound engine & the tramp ship in 19C Britain' by Dr Oliver Carpenter DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nThe ‘tramp’ ship was created and constructed as a distinct type of merchant vessel in the 1870s and 1880s by shipbuilders and shipowners operating predominantly out of ports and rivers in the North East of England. \nTo explain the construction of tramp shipping in this period\, this lecture explores the key technology that really made ‘tramping’ across the oceans a viable\, economical and profitable venture. \nDr Oliver Carpenter‘s argument is that the adoption and use of the marine compound engine by shipowners created the ‘tramp’ class of merchant steam ships for the first time in a new and rapidly-growing sector in British shipping. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Oliver Carpenter is Curator of Infrastructure & Built Environment at the Science Museum in London. He is responsible for the national collections of Building Construction; Civil Engineering; Docks & Diving; Electricity Supply; Firefighting; Gas Industry; Heating\, Cooling & Ventilation; Lighting; Locks & Fastenings; Nuclear Energy and Sewerage & Sanitation. \nOliver was Lead Curator of Energy Revolution at The Adani Green Energy Gallery – a major new permanent gallery about the low-carbon energy transition\, which opened at the Science Museum in 2024. Before joining the Science Museum in 2015\, he was a Collections Research Volunteer at Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust and Associate Lecturer in History of Science\, Technology and Medicine at University of Kent. \nOliver has a PhD in History of Technology and has published on the history of the British merchant shipping industry in the late-19th and early 20th centuries. He is a member of the Newcomen Society Council. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/a-plain-substantial-piece-of-workmanship-the-marine-compound-engine-the-tramp-ship-in-19c-britain-by-dr-oliver-carpenter/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/26-04-15_MarineCompoundEngineAndTrampShip_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260323T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260323T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133937 CREATED:20250922T103829Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T150440Z UID:16575-1774290600-1774296000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'W. G. Fearnsides FRS: a geological model of vision and versatility' by Duncan Hawley DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ON-Line – click this zoom link (Passcode 114394) \nW. G. Fearnsides (1879–1968) was born in West Yorkshire. He was a first-class scholar in geology at the University of Cambridge and following an interesting interlude in the USA\, he returned to Cambridge\, initially as a freelance geologist\, then working in the Geology Department\, contributing to their focus of research on the rocks of north and central Wales. In 1913\, he was appointed the first occupant of the Sorby Chair of Geology at the University of Sheffield\, establishing the Geology Department at Sheffield and deciding to follow similar veins of research to Sheffield geologist H.C. Sorby. \nIn his time\, Fearnsides was an outstanding geologist of remarkable versatility\, especially in the fields of applied science. One of his key legacies was a better understanding of how to apply geology and the importance of research on resources\, especially coal\, iron ore and local refractory materials. Another legacy is in highlighting the importance of ‘home geology’ for national resilience and security. Arguably\, the raw-material-based industries of Sheffield and beyond would not have been so productive and resourceful in two world wars without the efforts of W. G. Fearnsides. \nW. G. Fearnsides was honoured by many scientific and professional societies. He received the gold medal of the Surveyors’ Institution in 1913 and the Greenwell Medal from the North of England Institute of Mining and Metallurgy. He was an honorary member of the Institute of Mining Engineers. \nAbout the Speaker\nDuncan Hawley is a native of Sheffield\, born and brought up in Wadsley on the northern edge of the city\, overlooking the industry in the Don Valley. One of his abiding memories of his youth is the sound of regular thumps from drop forges that drifted up from the valley. As Ken Hawley’s son you might expect him to be well-versed on tools – but he readily admits he knows ‘nowt’ about tools\, although he probably imbibed more about Sheffield tools and its industrial history than most. He always refers to a turnscrew\, never a screwdriver (which is an American term). \nDuncan attended High Storrs School\, then studied geology at UCL\, Aberystwyth and Oxford\, then followed a varied career as a geography and geoscience educator in schools\, field centres\, universities\, curriculum development and teacher education. He is known for his work on teaching physical geography. Throughout\, he maintained an interest in the history of geology\, and probably inherited something of his father’s collecting trait as he now holds a collection of early geological maps and other artefacts. \nDuncan is a Fellow of the Geological Society of London and Chairperson of the History of Geology Group and regularly publishes on the history of geology. Additionally\, he is active in geoheritage and geoconservation as Chairperson of the Sheffield Area Geology Trust and he keeps his hand in with local industrial heritage as a trustee of the Ken Hawley Collection Trust. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/w-g-fearnsides-frs-a-geological-model-of-vision-and-versatility-by-duncan-hawley/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/26-02-23_WGFearnsidesFRS_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260311T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260311T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250915T150907Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T090837Z UID:16540-1773252000-1773257400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Vernacular Practice: Joseph Whitworth’s papers on Flatness & Threads' by John Gardner DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nThis lecture examines the relationship between workshop practice and standards for threads and flatness by analysing two influential papers by Joseph Whitworth\, which achieved a broad readership after being published in the 6d Mechanics’ Magazine in 1841. These papers are: \n1. “Plane Metallic Surfaces and the Proper Mode of Preparing Them” (read at the British Association meeting in Glasgow in 1840\, published in Mechanics’ Magazine\, no. 910\, 16 January 1841\, pp. 39-42).\n2. “A Uniform System of Screw Threads” (read to the Institution of Civil Engineers in 1841\, published in Mechanics’ Magazine\, no. 951\, 30 October 1841\, pp. 340-344). \nThe argument is that these papers remain relevant in modern engineering standards. Whitworth’s proposal for standard screw threads significantly contributed to the construction of the Crystal Palace in 1851\, which was completed in just 190 days using approximately 30\,000 nuts and bolts. This was achieved despite there being no standardized thread form until 1905. The contemporary engineer James Nasmyth highlighted the chaos and expense caused by the lack of a standardized thread form\, where each bolt and nut was unique\, leading to confusion and inefficiency: \n‘No system was observed as to “pitch”\, i.e.\, the number of threads to the inch\, nor was any rule followed as to the form of these threads. Every bolt and nut was thus a specialty in itself […] all bolts and their corresponding nuts had to be marked as belonging to each other; and any mixing of them together led to endless trouble\, hopeless confusion\, and enormous expense.’ (James Nasmyth\, Engineer: An Autobiography (1883)\, p.131.) \nWhitworth’s proposal advocated for a practical\, workshop-based method to promote his thread form\, rather than relying solely on theoretical principles. \nResearch for this talk has involved working with the London Science Museum and the Crystal Palace Museum. Original bolts from the Crystal Palace and towers were examined\, measured\, and remanufactured establishing that Whitworth’s vernacular thread form was used to build the Palace. The plane metallic surfaces standard that Whitworth helped achieve\, which relied on hand-scraping\, initially annoyed his workers who thought hand work a retrograde step after using machines. Nevertheless\, the method he published on stands to this day as process through which to achieve a high degree of flatness. In this talk\, John Gardner will discuss Whitworth’s papers on flatness and threads\, their origins in workshop practice\, and their legacy in engineering standards. \nAbout the Speaker\nJohn Gardner is Dean of the Doctoral School at Anglia Ruskin University. \nJohn’s recent publications include: ‘Thread form at the Crystal Palace’ (Journal for the History of Engineering and Technology\, 2024); The 1830s\, with David Stewart (CUP\, 2024); ‘Waterloo to Peterloo‘ in The Oxford Handbook to Romantic Prose\, ed. by Robert Morrison (OUP\, 2024); ‘Liberalism’ in The 1820s\, Innovation and Diffusion ed. by Matt Sangster and Jon Mee. (Edinburgh University Press\, 2023); ‘Shelley’s Steamship’ Keats-Shelley Journal 71 (2022); and ‘A Dangerous Education; the Early Mechanics’ Institutes’ in Institutions as Networks (CUP\, 2022). \nJohn is currently working on a monograph entitled ‘Engineering Romanticism’. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/vernacular-practice-joseph-whitworths-papers-on-flatness-threads-by-john-gardner/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/26-03-11_VernacularPracticeJosephWhitworth_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260304T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260304T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20260302T154257Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260303T091016Z UID:16817-1772650800-1772658000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Housing the Great Exhibition in 1851' by Dr. Jim Andrew DESCRIPTION:Image Credit: The Original Crystal Palace in Hyde Park – Painted for H. R. H. Prince Albert by Messrs Nash\, Haghe & Roberts R.A. \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \nThe Great Exhibition planned for the summer of 1851 was languishing in a committee until\, in June 1850\, Joseph Paxton was asked for a design of a building to go in Hyde Park\, London. \nThe temporary building was possibly the largest single constructed building anywhere in the World\, yet it was designed within a month and opened in ten months. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Jim Andrew is a former museum manager at Birmingham Science Museum\, and is currently Chairman of Newcomen Midlands. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/housing-the-great-exhibition-in-1851-by-dr-jim-andrew/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/26-03-04_HousingTheGreatExhibitionin1851-V3_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260225T170000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260225T180000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250826T140342Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T091034Z UID:16501-1772038800-1772042400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Newcomen Society Annual General Meeting' DESCRIPTION:This is an online meeting only open to all Newcomen members. Click on this zoom link to join. \nAnnual General Meeting for Newcomen Society members only. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/newcomen-society-annual-general-meeting/ LOCATION:West Midlands CATEGORIES:All Regions,Shed Talks (Newcomen Online) ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Newcomen_Logo_Colour_1080x608-v2.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260223T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260223T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20260128T152803Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260128T152803Z UID:16758-1771871400-1771876800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Building the Shadow Factories' by Jonathan Aylen DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ON-LINE – click this zoom link (Passcode 888336) \nBritain’s military effort during World War 2 required a massive investment in manufacturing. Government-funded “Shadow factories” and “Agency Factories” were a key part of this huge capacity expansion.  The Government spent at least a quarter of a billion pounds at the time on new buildings\, new machinery and training\, often in locations far away from conventional manufacturing centres\, on factories run by 175 private firms.  These factories brought new technology and new production processes\, thereby accelerating the pace of wartime innovation. \nYet these new factories are themselves in the shadows.  Shadow factories are typically equated with new sites for building aircraft\, such as Yeadon in Yorkshire.  But shadow factory schemes spread much more widely across industry\, covering hidden sectors such as chemical warfare\, oil refining and ordnance manufacture\, as well as more obvious sectors such as aircraft components and aeroengines. \nThere is very little research on the selection\, design\, procurement and operation of these factories. Here we look at the broad shadow factory scheme\, using archive sources\, and then examine a factory for forging aircraft parts built in 1940 on a remote greenfield site at Distington\, Cumberland\, employing 3\,000 workers.  This was developed by a private firm\, High Duty Alloys\, on behalf of the Government. \nAbout the Speaker\nJonathan Aylen is an academic researcher who now specialises in the history of technology. He has written on the development of computer guidance systems for Cold War missiles\, the development of the first British atomic bomb and on computer control in the steel industry. His approach is to integrate oral history with unorthodox archive sources. Jonathan’s first exposure to computing was writing FORTRAN programmes for an ICL mainframe to support his research in economics. \nJonathan is a recent past President of the Newcomen society for the History of Engineering and Technology and his research output across a range of disciplines can be found here. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/building-the-shadow-factories-by-jonathan-aylen/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/26-02-23_BuildingtheShadowFactories_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260211T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260211T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250915T144057Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T090709Z UID:16537-1770832800-1770838200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Mercenary River' by Nick Higham DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nToday we take water for granted. Turn a tap and the stuff gushes out. But for centuries London struggled to supply its citizens with reliable\, clean drinking water. \nNick Higham tells the story of London’s water from the Tudor era to the 20th century. It’s a tale of remarkable technological\, scientific and organisational breakthroughs\, but also one of greed and complacency\, high finance and low politics. London’s 19th century water companies operated a cartel which worked in their interests\, not their customers’. The water they supplied was overpriced\, deficient in quantity and frequently filthy – described by one scientist as “diluted sewage”. It took the best part of a century of campaigning to bring the water companies to heel. \nAbout the Speaker\nNick Higham is a writer and former journalist who is passionate about history. His first book\, The Mercenary River\, a history of London’s water supply\, was published to excellent reviews in 2022: The Telegraph gave it five stars\, The Mail called it “fascinating”\, Andrew Marr found it “original and gripping”. The book has made a timely contribution to the current debate about Britain’s water industry and the scandal of untreated sewage discharges\, and has been praised by figures as diverse as the campaigner Feargal Sharkey and the chairman of Thames Water. \nHis second book\, Mavericks: Empire\, Oil\, Revolution and the Forgotten Battle of World War One\, is published by Bloomsbury in October 2025. \nNick spent nearly 30 years as a BBC correspondent\, whenever possible smuggling history onto the airwaves in the guise of news. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-mercenary-river-by-nick-higham/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/26-02-11_TheMercenaryRiver1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260204T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260204T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20260203T092926Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260203T162607Z UID:16770-1770231600-1770238800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Before Valves: The Amazing Ingenuity of the "Electricians" before the Thermionic Valve' by Dr John Moyle DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Wellcome Collection (1911 – Copyright free) \n\nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \n\n\n\nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \n\nMan’s ingenuity before the invention of the thermionic valve was amazing! \nThis lecture will summarize the early methods of wireless transmission and reception & amplification. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr John Moyle is a Chartered Engineer\, retired physician & anaesthetist plus historian with a particular interest in telegraphy and medical technology. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/before-valves-the-amazing-ingenuity-of-the-electricians-before-the-thermionic-valve-by-dr-john-moyle/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/26-02-04_BeforeValves_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260124T110000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260124T170000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20251209T160939Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260119T101557Z UID:16700-1769252400-1769274000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Locomotive Galleries at Armley Mills Museum' by Michael Bailey & John McGoldrick DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Chris Allen \nIn Person – Seminar\, buffet lunch and tour of Locomotive Gallery – to book tickets: click here \nOn-line – Seminar only – to book tickets: click here \nDetails of how to find Armley Mills Museum and other details can be found here \nAs we are limited to 60 in-person attendees\, booking is essential and tickets cost £16 (inclusive of a £1 booking fee charged by Ticket Source)\, which includes Museum entry to the Seminar\, the Buffet Lunch\, and the tour of the Railway Galleries. \nThis is a joint meeting with the Industrial History Section of the Yorkshire Archaeological and Historical Society \nThe Locomotive Galleries at Armley Mills Museum have been closed since catastrophic flooding in December 2015.  A major flood prevention scheme\, which included a flood wall around the Museum site and the rebuilding of the gallery wall adjacent to the River Aire\, has now been completed\, and the galleries will reopen to the public in 2026. \nThis meeting is an opportunity to view the newly completed gallery and to hear about the major locomotive industry in Leeds and the important railway collection held by the Museum. \nProgramme \n11:00 am Assemble\, coffee\, and welcome \n11:30 am Michael Bailey –  The Leeds Locomotive Building Industry in the 19th Century \n12:30 pm John McGoldrick – The Leeds Railway Collection \n1:30 pm – Buffet Lunch \n2:15 pm – Group 1: Accompanied tour of the new locomotive gallery \n2:15 pm – Group 2: Opportunity to explore artefacts from the Leeds Museum Railway Collection \n3:15 pm – Groups swap over \n4:15 pm to museum close at 5:00 pm\, opportunity to explore the museum collection \nAbout the Speakers\nDr. Michael Bailey is the President of the Stephenson Locomotive Society and a Past-President of the Newcomen Society. He has undertaken considerable work on the archaeology of early steam locomotives and has written extensively about early locomotive design and manufacturing progress during the 19th century. \nJohn McGoldrick is Curator of Industrial History at Leeds Industrial Museum\, constantly seeking news ways of getting people excited about history and collections (LinkedIn). URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-locomotive-galleries-at-armley-mills-museum-by-michael-bailey-john-mcgoldrick/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Leeds Industrial Museum at Armley Mills\, Canal Rd\, Armley\, Leeds\, West Yorkshire\, LS12 2QF\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/26-01-24_TheLocomotiveGalleriesatArmleyMillsMuseum_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260114T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260114T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250915T142342Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250922T090546Z UID:16532-1768413600-1768419000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Art of Engineering' by Laurence Scales DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nThe Royal Society of Arts began life as the Society for the Encouragement of Arts\, Manufactures and Commerce rewarding\, among other things\, inventions and improvements relating to mechanics\, manufactures and chemistry. \nThis lecture introduces the first century of the Society\, then passes by way of some history of engineering drawing and drawing instruments to feature some of the professional draughtsmen used by the Society. Along the way\, the lecture exhibits a selection of drawings from the archive. \nAbout the Speaker\nLaurence Scales has a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering\, and subsequently worked for Lloyds Register of Shipping\, offshore engineering contractor Brown & Root\, and defence electronics manufacturer Thales. Latterly he has been an archive volunteer at both the Royal Institution of Great Britain and the Royal Society of Arts. \nLaurence devises and leads London tours themed around the history of science\, technology and medicine. His customers have included Imperial College\, King’s College London\, Purdue University\, Ove Arup & Associates\, and the FBI. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-art-of-engineering-by-laurence-scales/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/26-01-14_TheArtOfEngineering_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260107T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260107T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20260102T095533Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260102T150342Z UID:16730-1767812400-1767819600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'A short version of the long history of automation on the railways' by Felix Schmid DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Benutzer:Bukk \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \nThis lecture was originally given as the Presidential Address to the Newcomen Society in London in 2025. \nThe presentation will commence by introducing very early mechanical systems\, including some that were used on waggonways 300 years ago. These were quite primitive but reduced the labour requirement\, e.g. by automating passing loops on tramways. \nThe automatic systems that came about in response to the Regulation of Railways Act 1889\, which made the railway much safer and also improved its economy\, will be discussed\, followed by the origins of the train stop and warning systems that came into operation in the early 20th century. The electronic safety and operational management systems instigated by computerisation\, where British Rail had a leading role\, will be reviewed. \nThe presentation will finish with some reflections on fully automated railways and the role of machine learning and what is often termed artificial intelligence. Throughout the talk\, the speaker will comment on the importance of including human skill and perception in automated systems for the railway. \nAbout the Speaker\nFelix Schmid is an Emeritus Professor of Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham and\, currently\, serves as the President of the Newcomen Society. \nHe has had a long-standing interest in railway systems and\, more particularly\, the automation of activities necessary for the safe and efficient operation of railways. Some automated systems support the work of people\, others are carrying out tasks without regular interactions with humans. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/a-short-version-of-the-long-history-of-automation-on-the-railways-by-felix-schmid/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/26-01-07_AutomationOfTheRailways_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251216T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251216T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250811T150156Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T090930Z UID:16483-1765908000-1765913400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Wright Brothers’ Last Laugh - The World's Return to Unstable Flight' by Dr Fred Starr DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nWith their background in design and construction as bicycle mechanics\, The Wright Brothers set out to build a flying machine. Nevertheless\, success took half a decade of experimental engineering & even the Wrights themselves didn’t think much of their world renowned flight on 17th December 1903. On that day\, they were lucky but they were only halfway there. Proper flying did not come until 1905. \nThe Wrights were not enthusiastic amateurs. As genuine engineers\, they read the literature before starting work. An early insight\, coming from bicycle design\, was that aircraft not only had to be controlled\, but a degree of instability was useful. The lecture will review what they did and summarise the Wrights’ other engineering achievements. \nIn the decades that followed\, the unstable aircraft was considered an idiotic concept. Today\, however\, advanced fighters and even some commercial aircraft have adopted the Wrights’ approach. Instability gives better manoeuvrability\, lower aircraft weight\, and reduced fuel consumption. But there are dangers. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Fred Starr graduated as a metallurgist from Battersea College (now the University of Surrey) in 1966. He joined British Gas\, London Research Station\, in Fulham\, where he remained for 30 years\, moving from failure investigation\, to leading the company’s research on high temperature materials.\nHowever\, the last ten years of Fred’s working life were geared towards energy conversion\, principally with British Gas and the European Commission. This included Stirling engines\, gas turbines and steam plant. It was a switch made possible by an amateur with a deep interest in the design of aircraft and aircraft engines\, especially their history. In this respect\, Fred’s one regret in life\, is not knowing that the Newcomen Society used to meet at the Science Museum\, just up the road from where he worked. \nFormally “retiring” in 2007\, Fred became an active member of the Newcomen Society. He got the Society to put on conferences on The Piston Engine Revolution (the development of the IC engine) and Swords into Ploughshares (how WWI transformed British Engineering). Fred has also published a three part paper in the Newcomen Journal on the development of materials for IC engine poppet valves. \nHe has also set up his own website\, fredstarr.com\, that has sections on industrial history. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-wright-brothers-last-laugh-the-worlds-return-to-unstable-flight-by-dr-fred-starr/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-12-16_TheWrightBrothersLastLaugh_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251215T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251215T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250922T103222Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251208T162059Z UID:16573-1765825200-1765828800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Conservation Engineering – Repairs to the Camellia House at Wentworth Woodhouse & Keppel’s Column' by Gez Pegram DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Andrewrabbott licensed under Creative Commons \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us on-line – Zoom ID: 860 9791 5034 \nThis is a joint meeting with the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society \nThis presentation will outline the restoration work undertaken at Wentworth Woodhouse and Keppel’s Column. \nThe £5 million restoration of Wentworth Woodhouse’s Camellia House involved repairing structural elements\, reinstating its glazed roof\, and incorporating modern energy-efficient technologies like ground-source heat pumps and underfloor heating. The project successfully transformed the derelict Grade II listed building into a tea house and event venue\, preserving the historic camellia plants while integrating contemporary design. \nKeppel’s Column in Rotherham was the subject of a major restoration project completed in 2022\, which addressed severe structural issues including cracking and stonework erosion\, and replaced the deteriorating internal staircase. The column was stabilized using a series of vertical and horizontal ties The severely broken internal staircase\, which had been a major structural issue\, was replaced with new metal treads that tie the inner and outer brick shafts together.  The missing rotating roof covering was reinstated to protect the column and its shaft\, and the metal railings on the cap were replaced to replicate original components. \nAbout the Speaker\nGez Pegram URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/conservation-engineering-repairs-to-the-camelia-house-at-wentworth-woodhouse-keppels-column-by-gez-pegram/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25-12-15_ConservationEngineering_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251203T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251203T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20251124T120226Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251126T103736Z UID:16682-1764788400-1764795600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The History of Measurement of Oxygen in Medicine' by Dr. John Moyle DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Uusi Ajaja Creative Commons \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \nOf the gases involved in life\, oxygen is the most important!\n \nThis lecture relates the history of measurement of oxygen in medicine\, as a gas\, in solution in bodily fluids and on haemoglobin; from the Haldane apparatus to Pulse Oximetry. \nAs a gas: \n\nHaldane\nParamagnetic\n(Raman spectroscopy)*\n(Mass spectroscopy)*\nAcoustic\nFuel Cell\n\nDissolved in Plama: \n\nClark electrode\n\nAttached to Haemoglobin: \n\nNon-invasive “Oximetry”\nPulse Oximetry\n\n*Research only \nAbout the Speaker\nDr John Moyle is a Chartered Engineer\, retired physician & anaesthetist plus historian with a particular interest in telegraphy and medical technology. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-history-of-measurement-of-oxygen-in-medicine-by-dr-john-moyle/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/25-12-03_HistoryofMeasurementofOxygeninMedicine_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251124T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250922T102450Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251103T091008Z UID:16571-1764009000-1764014400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'A short version of the long history of automation on the railways' by Felix Schmid DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ON-LINE – click this zoom link \nThe presentation will commence by introducing very early mechanical systems\, including some that were used on waggonways 300 years ago. These were quite primitive but reduced the labour requirement\, e.g. by automating passing loops on tramways. \nThe automatic systems that came about in response to the Regulation of Railways Act 1889\, which made the railway much safer and also improved its economy\, will be discussed\, followed by the origins of the train stop and warning systems that came into operation in the early 20th century. The electronic safety and operational management systems instigated by computerisation\, where British Rail had a leading role\, will be reviewed. \nThe presentation will finish with some reflections on fully automated railways and the role of machine learning and what is often termed artificial intelligence. Throughout the talk\, the speaker will comment on the importance of including human skill and perception in automated systems for the railway. \nAbout the Speaker\nFelix Schmid is an Emeritus Professor of Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham and\, currently\, serves as the President of the Newcomen Society. \nHe has had a longstanding interest in railway systems and\, more particularly\, the automation of activities necessary for the safe and efficient operation of railways. Some automated systems support the work of people\, others are carrying out tasks without regular interactions with humans. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/a-short-version-of-the-long-history-of-automation-on-the-railways/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/25-04-09_HistoryOfAutomationOnTheRailways_PICTOUSE_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251118T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251118T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250811T141834Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T090812Z UID:16477-1763488800-1763494200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Broadcast Britain' by Dr Mark Pegg DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nA Century of Change Personalities\, Politics\, Society & Culture 1922–2022\nDr Mark Pegg presented to the society in 2024 on the technology that enabled public broadcasting: 100 years of the BBC\, crystal sets\, valve radios and television through to the semi-conductors and microchips creating today’s multi-media age with computers\, mobile phones and smart speakers. \nBy popular demand\, members wanted more information on the people\, social and cultural changes plus the impact of broadcasting on the way we live our lives. \nThis is a further presentation on the technology that uniquely entered our homes and changed us forever.\n \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Mark Pegg read history at Oxford University where his published doctoral thesis was British Broadcasting and Society 1918-1939. He worked in the UK coal mining industry in deep mines and headquarters where he was the Chairman’s personal assistant and also researched the modern coal mining history. \nAfter working as a management consultant\, Mark became a Director of a Business School and CEO of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education. He has extensive experience in the UK\, Europe\, Middle East\, Far East and Africa with clients including central governments\, Rolls-Royce plc and the UK Senior Civil Service. \nHe is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/broadcast-britain-a-century-of-change-personalities-politics-society-culture-1922-2022-by-dr-mark-pegg/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-11-18_BroadcastBritainCrystalPalace2_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251105T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251105T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20251103T145417Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251104T152945Z UID:16669-1762369200-1762376400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'History of Research in British Gas - Part 2' by Chris Hodrien DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Random Group \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \nIn April 2025\, Chris Hodrien gave the first part of his account of the history of research in British Gas\, including an introduction to the gas industry in the United Kingdom\, and the consolidation and nationalisation of the industry in the mid-20th-century. \nThe basic production technology remained unchanged into the 1950s\, with gradual evolutionary equipment improvements\, but formal R&D on both production and utilisation was considerably accelerated first during WorldWar 2\, then by the nationalisation of the industry in 1948 and again with the formation of British Gas Corporation in 1973\, forming a powerful fully vertically-integrated organisation covering all aspects of gas technology. This led to two successive and very successful total technical revolutions\, from coal carbonisation to steam reforming of light oils in the 1960s-70s followed immediately by the conversion to North Sea natural gas in the 1970s-80s. \nBy the time of the privatisation in the early 1990s\, British Gas was one of the most powerful\, modern\, technically advanced and profitable industries in the UK\, with an R&D budget of c. £55M/year and a long term 25-year R&D strategy. \nIn part 2 of his talk\, Chris covers the later technical developments that resulted from the world-class research that he was involved in. \nAbout the Speaker\nChris Hodrien is the son of two industrial chemists who met in the laboratory. He formed an intent to become an industrial Chemical Engineer at about age 11 and had by far the largest home chemistry set in the neighbourhood! Chris graduated with an M.A. in Chemical Engineering from Pembroke College\, University of Cambridge in 1973 and went straight to work in cutting-edge world-class gas production R&D at Midlands Research Station\, Solihull. \nOne important role (1974) was the introduction of brand-new computer-aided gasification process simulation methods\, another (1980-83) was as team leader of the initial pilot plant for the world’s highest efficiency coal gasification process. A project for advanced low-cost drying of natural gas (1996-2000) won an internal Chairman’s Award for Chris. \nSubsequently\, the work was relocated to a new integrated national Gas Research Centre at Loughborough after privatisation in 1993\, under the new banner of Advantica plc. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/history-of-research-in-british-gas-part-2-by-chris-hodrien/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-04-02_HistoryOfResearchInBritishGasV2_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251027T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251027T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250922T100729Z LAST-MODIFIED:20251014T145726Z UID:16569-1761589800-1761595200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'New Maps of Hell: the first years of naval drones & anti-shipping guided missiles' by Dr Phil Judkins DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Public Domain via the US Federal Government \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us on-line – Zoom ID: 819 9793 5066 \nIn the Black Sea\, Russia’s fleet has almost ceased to exist\, thanks to a weapon we think of as ultra-modern. Except it isn’t. The first naval drone was German; its first casualty was an Ipswich man\, and the year was 1917! \nDr Phil Judkins traces the history of naval drones and missiles\, and defences against them\, over the last century – a story with many surprises. In the Second World War\, Germany’s devices\, little recorded in history\, sank one battleship\, crippled two more\, sank one heavy cruiser and crippled two more; even less recorded is that Britain’s first response was using electric shavers to jam radio command signals. Not admitted for over 20 years was the biggest single loss of life at sea to US forces\, which occurred in an almost unknown battle between 40 German missiles and two US shipborne radio jammers. \nThe use of similar missiles is traced through the Falklands\, and then brought up to date with the rapid pace of development in the Ukraine\, and of British anti-drone devices such as DragonFire and the less romantically-named Ealing Project. \nThe lecture concludes with contemplation of the future of Britain’s naval carrier forces against the potential opposition of Chinese stealth Ju Tian drone ‘mother-ships’\, each capable of carrying sizeable drone swarms with an Artificial Intelligence (AI) capability thousands of miles before release. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Phil Judkins’ love of industrial archaeology stems from his childhood playground being an abandoned Victorian waterworks\, with no Health and Safety to concern him! Cambridge’s Classical Archaeology course led to several years in ‘dirt archaeology’\, followed by a management career which ranged from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment to the City of London. Phil then gave structure to his abiding interest of historic defence electronics through a Cranfield PhD in the history of radar\, and successive Fellowships at the UK’s Defence Academy and at Buckingham University’s Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies. \nHe currently chairs the Defence Electronics History Society and the Purbeck Radar Museum Trust\, in addition to serving on the Committee of the South Yorkshire Newcomen Society\, and lectures on defence topics throughout the UK\, Phil’s particular perspective is to present the role of electronics in conflict as seen by all the contending parties\, rather than from a single national perspective\, so that he welcomes collaboration with colleagues internationally. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/new-maps-of-hell-the-first-years-of-naval-drones-anti-shipping-guided-missiles-by-dr-phil-judkins/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25-10-27_NavalDronesAntiShippingGuidedMissiles_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251021T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251021T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250811T135431Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250901T090657Z UID:16473-1761069600-1761075000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Presidential Address: Maritime Regulation\, a force for good?' by Vaughan Pomeroy DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nRegulation has become a target for many political voices\, red tape restricting innovation and business which should be removed or constrained. Of course\, regulations are introduced to achieve many different objectives. The lecture will look at the development of the current maritime safety regulatory regimes\, international\, national and non-statutory\, to set out how innovation has been addressed\, how specific concerns have driven change and attempt to quantify the benefits. It will conclude by considering current challenges and setting these against the safety gains of the past. \nThe lecture rests heavily on the experience of the speaker gained during forty years working in heavily regulated industries including thirty years with Lloyd’s Register of Shipping. \nAbout the Speaker\nVaughan Pomeroy began his engineering career with British Aircraft Corporation at Weybridge. He then worked with Mott\, Hay and Anderson\, on the design and construction of infrastructure projects including tunnels\, water supply and irrigation schemes\, power generation and distribution and building services. \nVaughan then spent over thirty years until June 2010 with Lloyd’s Register\, ultimately as the Marine Technical Director responsible for the technical policy of the marine business of that classification society. \nHe is an engineering graduate of the University of Cambridge\, a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects\, a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and a Fellow and Honorary Vice President of the Institute of Marine Engineering\, Science and Technology and a Chartered Engineer. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/presidential-address-maritime-regulation-a-force-for-good-by-vaughan-pomeroy/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/25-10-21_MaritimeRegulationAForceForGood_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20251001T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20251001T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250929T110540Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250929T110540Z UID:16613-1759345200-1759352400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Hallmarking of Silver and Gold' by Dr Jim Andrew DESCRIPTION:Photo Credit: Rodolph at the English-language Wikipedia \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThis is a joint event with Thinktank\, Birmingham Science Museum \nThe UK’s consumer protection started some seven centuries ago with the marking of gold and silver products to show purity\, date tested and the maker. The method of establishing the purity of silver products evolved over many years with a need for both accuracy and the time taken to test items submitted for assaying\, particularly in busy assay offices. \nJim Andrew will explain the system and how to access the details of date and maker\, with examples from the last two centuries. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Jim Andrew is a former museum manager at Birmingham Science Museum\, and is currently Chairman of Newcomen Midlands. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-hallmarking-of-silver-and-gold-by-dr-jim-andrew/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25-10-01_TheHallmarkingOfSilverGold_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250929T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250929T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250918T101145Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250919T150251Z UID:16551-1759170600-1759176000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Development of the HF Transceiver' by Bob Harris DESCRIPTION:Image source: KNL \nJoining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nClick on this zoom link to join on-line \nThe period from about 1970 to 1985 saw significant changes in the design and construction of high-frequency (HF) radio transceivers. Whilst this talk will focus on amateur radio transceivers\, the developments and changes also applied to commercial transceivers for the maritime and land mobile markets. \nBob Harris will cover the changes and set them in the context of the wider development of transmitters and receivers from Marconi onwards. The development of the technology\, the circuit design and the construction practices will all be examined and supported by relevant theory. \nThe reasons for the rise to dominance of the Japanese brands such as Icom\, Kenwood and Vertex will be discussed. \nAbout the Speaker\nBob Harris has held an amateur radio licence since 1971 and has gradually built up a collection of old radio transceivers. These are from the mid-1970s until the mid-1980s\, this period being one of significant technical change and innovation. \nProfessionally\, Bob has an MSc in Modern Electronics and a BEng in Electronic Engineering. After initially working in the steel industry\, he moved into teaching in further education. Latterly\, he taught electronics and telecommunications at Sheffield Hallam University for some 30 years until his retirement URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-development-of-the-hf-transceiver-by-bob-harris/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/25-09-29_TheDevelopmentoftheHFTransceiver_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250519T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250519T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241029T111854Z LAST-MODIFIED:20241029T111854Z UID:15899-1747679400-1747684800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Went the day well? - We plan\, the Gods laugh: Success and Failure on D-Day' by Dr Phil Judkins DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nplease email meetings.syorks@newcomen.com for zoom link \nThe Allies’ success at D-Day paved the way for victory in Europe. The fighting in Normandy continued until August 1944\, when Paris was liberated. \nMany of the immediate strategic objectives of the landings were not achieved\, including the failure to capture any of the key towns. But D-Day was still a huge success. More than 160\,000 Allied troops and 6\,000 vehicles had crossed the Channel and established a foothold in France. \nAbout the Speaker\nDr Phil Judkins’ love of industrial archaeology stems from his childhood playground being an abandoned Victorian waterworks\, with no Health and Safety to concern him! Cambridge’s Classical Archaeology course led to several years in ‘dirt archaeology’\, followed by a management career which ranged from the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment to the City of London. Phil then gave structure to his abiding interest of historic defence electronics through a Cranfield PhD in the history of radar\, and successive Fellowships at the UK’s Defence Academy and at Buckingham University’s Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies. \nHe currently chairs the Defence Electronics History Society and the Purbeck Radar Museum Trust\, in addition to serving on the Committee of the South Yorkshire Newcomen Society\, and lectures on defence topics throughout the UK\, Phil’s particular perspective is to present the role of electronics in conflict as seen by all the contending parties\, rather than from a single national perspective\, so that he welcomes collaboration with colleagues internationally. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/went-the-day-well-we-plan-the-gods-laugh-success-and-failure-on-d-day-by-dr-phil-judkins/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-05-19_SuccessAndFailureOnDDay_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250514T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250514T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241029T122055Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250403T094552Z UID:15910-1747245600-1747252800@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The Trinity House Story' by David Whitehead & Mike Hawthorne DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nHave you ever wondered who looks after the major lighthouses around England\, Wales and the Channel Islands? How did they come to be there in the first place? \nIncorporated by Royal Charter by Henry Vlll in 1514\, Trinity House is today a vital part of Britain’s maritime community. In addition to owning and operating lighthouses\, lightvessels\, beacons and buoys to keep safe all mariners at sea around our shores\, Trinity House is called in to mark – and clear if required – wrecks\, help develop state of the art electronic navigation tools for vessels of all sizes to overcome the vulnerabilities of GPS\, and to act as Nautical Assessors in Admiralty Court cases. \nAdd to that a sizeable maritime fraternity which regularly advises on current maritime issues and future opportunities\, and a charitable side that donates in excess of £5m a year to worthy maritime causes\, and you start to get a picture of Trinity House. Then add cadet schemes to train future Merchant Navy mariners and leisure seafarers\, almshouses for the use of retired mariners\, holidays in converted lighthouses and even public tours and private receptions offered in its stunning historical London HQ on Tower Hill. \nAbout the Speaker\nDavid Whitehead OBE is a former Director of the British Ports Association (1993 to 2016) and Director of Policy\, British Ports Federation (1990 – 1993). David led the ports industry through a period of great change. He was heavily involved in the development of the Port Marine Safety Code and was a member of the Port Marine Safety Code Steering Group\, which led on navigational safety policy for the entire maritime sector\, for many years.  David was also Chairman of the European Seaports Organisation for four years where he was responsible for leading on ports policy\, including marine and navigational issues\, with the EU institutions.  In 2010\, he was awarded the OBE for his services to the UK ports industry. \nCaptain Mike Hawthorne OBE RN has been a Younger Brother of Trinity House since 2021.  His 36 years in the Royal Navy included working with Diesel and Nuclear Submarines\, Naval Intelligence\, Naval Procurement and Crisis Management Fleet Command.  His roles included Navigation Training Officer\, Command of HMS Tireless\, Director Naval Intelligence Collection\, Naval Operations and Command of Joint Forces Cyber Group. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-trinity-house-story-by-david-whitehead-mike-hawthorne/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-02-24_TheTrinityHouseStory_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250507T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250507T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250423T091238Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250423T130851Z UID:16342-1746644400-1746651600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'From craftsman’s bench to factory floor: the Birmingham Rule Trade 1750-1920' by David Bryden DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in. \nDuring the 19th century\, there was a marked change in the structure and form of the rule-making trade in Birmingham and Wolverhampton. Making rules for tradesmen across the UK and abroad to measure\, lay-out and calculate\, effectively vanished from Wolverhampton. Established craft skills\, practiced in small Birmingham workshops by a skilled master\, assisted by trained journeymen using techniques passed onto apprentices\, were swept aside by mechanisation. \nDespite the active opposition of time-served journeymen\, unskilled young operatives of both genders came to dominate a growing workforce\, along with a decline in the number of employers and the emergence of a few large manufacturing units – the rule factory. A leading activist in this change was the entrepreneurial John Rabone II (1820-1892). \nInformal and formal records kept by the Rabone business and preserved in Sheffield and Birmingham\, together with data drawn from Census returns\, the local press\, and publications by or for the rule manufacturers\, have been examined for the first time. \nAbout the Speaker\nDavid J. Bryden BSc MA PhD FSA took a degree in engineering at Leicester in 1964 followed by a year taking a taught course in the history and philosophy of science at Oxford. \nDavid was then employed for nearly four decades in various national and university museums. His PhD (Cambridge 1993) was awarded on the basis of publications on early scientific instruments and the British instrument making trade. \nRetiring to the West Midlands\, David has continued to research and publish. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/from-craftsmans-bench-to-factory-floor-the-birmingham-rule-trade-1750-1920-by-david-bryden/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/25-05-07_BirminghamRuleTrade_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250428T183000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250428T200000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241029T105710Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250326T104123Z UID:15896-1745865000-1745870400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'The life of L.T.C Rolt' by Dr Victoria Owens DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nplease email meetings.syorks@newcomen.com for zoom link \nIn 1926\, Tom Rolt who was then sixteen years old\, abandoned his public school education. Having taken a job with a small firm of agricultural engineers\, he realised that he had found his life’s calling. But the way ahead was neither smooth nor easy. Having secured a premium apprenticeship\, the firm which took him on foundered and although he eventually qualified as a mechanical engineer\, the 1930s depression made it almost impossible to find regular employment. \nNothing daunted\, with the encouragement of his mysterious companion ‘Cara’\, he turned to writing. His literary career flourished alongside his association with the Vintage Sports Car Club\, the Inland Waterways Association and the Talyllyn Railway. Between his Inland Waterways Association and Talyllyn phases\, Angela\, his first wife\, left him to join Billy Smart’s Circus\, and Sonia –an actress-turned-boatwoman – would become his second wife. Over the course of his life\, he produced over thirty books\, their subject matters ranging from canals and railways to engineering biography; company histories; a collection of accomplished ghost stories and a topographical survey of Worcestershire. He also wrote polemics about the plight of the craftsman in a world which relied increasingly upon mass production. \nIn this book\, the first full-length biography of Tom Rolt and a complement to his auto-biographical Landscape trilogy\, Dr Victoria Owens draws upon his surviving letters and unpublished manuscripts to tell the story of the engineer-turned-writer who made Britain’s industrial past the stuff of enduring literature. \nAbout the Speaker\nA member of the Newcomen Society\, Dr Victoria Owens has worked in local government and the book trade. Now an independent scholar\, her book Lady Charlotte Guest – the exceptional life of a female industrialist was shortlisted for the 2021 Wales Book of the Year and won the non-fiction award. Her other publications include James Brindley and the Duke of Bridgewater: Canal Visionaries (Amberley Publishing 2015) and Aqueducts and Viaducts of Britain (Amberley Publishing 2019). \nVictoria’s latest publication\, The Life of L.T.C Tom Rolt\, came out in 2024. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-life-of-l-t-c-rolt-by-dr-victoria-owens/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Kelham Island Museum\, Alma Street\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S3 8RG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-04-28_TheLifeOfLTCRolt_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250409T180000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250409T193000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20250219T143745Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250331T151520Z UID:16210-1744221600-1744227000@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Presidential Address: A short version of the long history of automation on the railways' by Professor Felix Schmid DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. No need to register – just come along or click this zoom link to join on-line. \nThe presentation will commence by introducing very early mechanical systems\, including some that were used on waggonways 300 years ago. These were quite primitive but reduced the labour requirement\, e.g. by automating passing loops on tramways. \nThe automatic systems that came about in response to the Regulation of Railways Act 1889\, which made the railway much safer and also improved its economy\, will be discussed\, followed by the origins of the train stop and warning systems that came into operation in the early 20th century. The electronic safety and operational management systems instigated by computerisation\, where British Rail had a leading role\, will be reviewed. \nThe presentation will finish with some reflections on fully automated railways and the role of machine learning and what is often termed artificial intelligence. Throughout the talk\, the speaker will comment on the importance of including human skill and perception in automated systems for the railway. \nAbout the Speaker\nFelix Schmid is an Emeritus Professor of Railway Systems Engineering at the University of Birmingham and\, currently\, serves as the President of the Newcomen Society. \nHe has had a longstanding interest in railway systems and\, more particularly\, the automation of activities necessary for the safe and efficient operation of railways. Some automated systems support the work of people\, others are carrying out tasks without regular interactions with humans. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/presidential-address-a-short-version-of-the-long-history-of-automation-on-the-railways-by-professor-felix-schmid/ LOCATION:LONDON Alan Baxter Gallery\, 75 Cowcross St\, Clerkenwell\, London\, EC1M 6EL CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/25-04-09_HistoryOfAutomationOnTheRailways_PICTOUSE_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250402T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250402T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241028T155529Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250728T150155Z UID:15872-1743620400-1743627600@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'History of research in British Gas' by Chris Hodrien DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in \nThe British gas industry has a long and proud history of technical innovation\, but very little is known or appreciated by the general public. \nTown gas production technology for gas lighting by the carbonisation (destructive heating) of coal was invented by William Murdoch in Redruth in 1793 and subsequently developed by him in Boulton & Watt’s Soho Foundry in Smethwick during 1995-1805\, initially for the gas lighting of factories and mills. This was the first industrial scale example of what is nowadays termed the Process Industry\, and long predated the better-known chemical industry. \nThe basic production technology remained unchanged into the 1950s\, with gradual evolutionary equipment improvements\, but formal R&D on both production and utilisation was considerably accelerated first during WorldWar 2\, then by the nationalisation of the industry in 1948 and again with the formation of British Gas Corporation in 1973\, forming a powerful fully vertically-integrated organisation covering all aspects of gas technology. This led to two successive and very successful total technical revolutions\, from coal carbonisation to steam reforming of light oils in the 1960s-70s followed immediately by the conversion to North Sea natural gas in the 1970s-80s. \nBy the time of the privatisation in the early 1990s \, British Gas was one of the most powerful\, modern\, technically advanced and profitable industries in the UK\, with an R&D budget of c. £55M/year and a long term 25-year R&D strategy. \nAbout the Speaker\nChris Hodrien is the son of two industrial chemists who met in the laboratory. He formed an intent to become an industrial Chemical Engineer at about age 11 and had by far the largest home chemistry set in the neighbourhood! Chris graduated with an M.A. in Chemical Engineering from Pembroke College\, University of Cambridge in 1973 and went straight to work in cutting-edge world-class gas production R&D at Midlands Research Station\, Solihull. \nOne important role (1974) was the introduction of brand-new computer-aided gasification process simulation methods\, another (1980-83) was as team leader of the initial pilot plant for the world’s highest efficiency coal gasification process. A project for advanced low-cost drying of natural gas (1996-2000) won an internal Chairman’s Award for Chris. \nSubsequently\, the work was relocated to a new integrated national Gas Research Centre at Loughborough after privatisation in 1993\, under the new banner of Advantica plc. \nChris is a visiting industrial tutor on biotechnology scale-up\, industrial design and costing\, bioenergy and process egineering for the University of Warwick. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/history-of-research-in-british-gas-by-chris-hodrien/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-04-02_HistoryOfResearchInBritishGasV2_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250325T181500 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250325T190000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241029T125020Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250319T094322Z UID:15912-1742926500-1742929200@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:‘The Ken Barraclough Memorial Lecture - New discoveries of Sheffield industrial metallurgical history post Barraclough' by Ashley Tuck DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register.\nJoining us ON LINE – Zoom webinar ID 819 5707 3999\, Password SMEA 1894 \nThis is a joint meeting between the Sheffield Metallurgical and Engineering Association and the South Yorkshire Industrial History Society \nAshley Tuck from Wessex Archaeology will update us on progress that has been made in recent years. \nAbout the Speaker\nAshley Tuck is an archaeologist with over 20 years experience. He has been involved with research on Sheffield Castle since 2016 and led the field evaluation in 2018. Ashley began his career working as an excavator on industrial sites in Sheffield\, before widening his experience\, investigating sites of varying types and date using a broad spectrum of techniques. For a time\, Ashley led the Wessex Archaeology archiving team in Sheffield. \nHe has written a large number of archaeological reports and publications including the monograph for Hornsea Project One and contributing to the book Sheffield Castle: Archaeology\, Archives\, Regeneration\, 1927–2018. \nWith the work at the castle\, Ashley hopes to help tell the story of Sheffield and contribute to our emerging understanding of the identity of the modern city. As nothing is currently visible above ground it can be hard to remember the significance and size of the castle. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand this medieval power centre and to explore the castle and its iconic and transformative meaning for people today. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/the-ken-barraclough-memorial-lecture-new-discoveries-of-sheffield-industrial-metallurgical-history-post-barraclough-by-ashley-tuck/ LOCATION:SHEFFIELD Crowne Plaza Royal Victoria\, Victoria Station Road\, Sheffield\, South Yorkshire\, S4 7YE CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - South Yorkshire Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-03-25_SheffieldIndustrialMetallurgicalHistory_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - South Yorkshire Branch":MAILTO:meetings.syorks@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250305T190000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250305T210000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241028T150418Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250226T165459Z UID:15868-1741201200-1741208400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'A Warwickshire Eclipse' by Mike Frost DESCRIPTION:Joining us IN PERSON – just turn up\, there’s no need to register\nJoining us ONLINE – click on this zoom link before the event to join in. \nOn February 18th 1737\, there was an eclipse of the Sun visible from Warwickshire. It was one of an extraordinary series of British eclipses which occurred in the eighteenth century\, and inspired a generation of astronomers and cartographers to produce ever-more elaborate charts and maps of the eclipse tracks. \nHenry Beighton – surveyor\, engineer\, draftsman and mathematician\, drew one such chart to illustrate the 1737 eclipse. Mike Frost found this chart in the papers of Roger Newdigate\, a young aristocrat who lived in Arbury Hall\, Nuneaton. \nMike uses the story of these two fascinating historical figures\, and the map that connects them\, to trace the flowering of mathematical talent in the wake of Newton\, Halley and others. In the case of Beighton and Newdigate\, these talents played a direct part in bringing the industrial revolution to Warwickshire. \nAbout the Speaker\nWarwickshire’s Mike Frost is a Systems Engineer working in the steel industry. In his spare time\, Mike is an astronomer who chases eclipses and visits astronomical sites worldwide. \nMike is a member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Astonomy Society\, The Society for the History of Astronomy\, The British Astronomical Association and The Royal Astronomical Society. He also writes articles and gives talks to societies around the UK & beyond. In April 2010\, Mike became director of the Historical Section of the British Astronomical Association. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/a-warwickshire-eclipse-by-mike-frost/ LOCATION:BIRMINGHAM Think Tank\, Birmingham Science Museum\,\, Curzon Street\, Birmingham\, West Midlands\, B4 7XG CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - Midlands Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-03-05_AWarwickshireEclipse_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - Midland Branch":MAILTO:midlands@newcomen.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20250228T143000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20250228T160000 DTSTAMP:20260416T133938 CREATED:20241029T121231Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250204T171647Z UID:15904-1740753000-1740758400@www.newcomen.com SUMMARY:'Leonardo Torres Quevedo: Pioneer of Computing\, Automatics & Artificial Intelligence' by Francisco A. Gonzalez Redondo DESCRIPTION:This event is both an in-person and on-line event. Please click on this link to book in-person tickets and zoom link option. \nPlease Note: The venue security requires in-person attendees to have booked their ticket in advance to secure entry. \nThis is a joint meeting with The Computer Conservation Society. \nA comprehensive examination of the almost unknown Spanish pioneer in the fields of computing\, automatics and artificial intelligence during the first two decades of the twentieth century: the engineer and mathematician Leonardo Torres Quevedo (1852-1936). \nAbout the Speaker\nFrancisco A. Gonzalez Redondo is Professor of History of Science at the Faculty of Education\, Universidad Complutense\, Madrid\, where he has taught since 1989 and where he was Academic Secretary between 2001 and 2009. \nFrancisco has written/coordinated more than 20 books and more than 200 articles/book chapters. He has curated more than 50 exhibitions\, participated in more than 80 radio programs and given more than 300 conferences and seminars in Germany\, Denmark\, Spain\, Italy\, Mexico\, the United Kingdom\, Sweden and Switzerland. URL:https://www.newcomen.com/activity/leonardo-torres-quevedo-pioneer-of-computing-automatics-artificial-intelligence-by-francisco-a-gonzalez-redondo/ LOCATION:LONDON BCS\, 25 Copthall Ave\, London\, EC2R 7BP\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Shed Talks (Newcomen Online),UK - London Branch ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.newcomen.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/25-02-28_LeonardoTorresQuevedo_1920x1280.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Newcomen - London Branch":MAILTO:office@newcomen.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR